Virtual Clinic - Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC

Get on a clear path to feeling better.

Functional healing simplified with a
science-based approach.

 

The Doctor Ruscio team.

Improve your health with an approach grounded in science.

We understand feeling sick and frustrated. You feel like you’ve tried everything, yet nothing seems to work. Perhaps your doctor doesn’t have the time or experience to offer you more than a prescription, or maybe you’ve seen an integrative practitioner who was unable to fully help.

With decades of experience and ongoing clinical research, we understand the causes of your symptoms and help you implement a personalized plan using a science-guided, integrative approach.

Whether you’ve been sick for a long time or are looking to optimize an already thriving lifestyle, Dr. Ruscio, DC and his team of providers are here to partner with you to improve your health.

“I loved when Dr. Scott told me it was his goal for me not to need him anymore.”

-Stephanye Foster

“Dr. Ruscio’s aim was for me to take less supplements, not more.”

-Erica Blades

“I’ve seen more improvement working with the clinic than with anyone else.”

-Alli Cook

Here’s how it works

An immense amount of thought and analysis goes into getting you started so that we ensure you will be feeling better as soon as possible.

Virtual Clinic - b9a585f6 83bc 46e0 a2ca 06d307a0648d
Virtual Clinic - aef00e85 4fe9 44da a1fa 372324b35665
Virtual Clinic - 1c9ebf84 f32c 44d8 8867 7a800727f060
Virtual Clinic - ec3a9c3f cead 4312 8636 a4e3ff5ee2c0

1.Meet with our intake specialist.

The first step is to fill out our comprehensive health history paperwork and then meet with an intake specialist from our team.

During your Intake Visit, you and our intake specialist will review your information in detail to ensure everything is fully accurate, and to gain additional context, which is very important for your doctor. This updated information is then shared with your doctor.

Why Step 1?

This visit provides your practitioner with the foundation needed to best address your personalized treatment plan.

2.Meet your new Doctor.

Now that your doctor has the most accurate information, they will thoroughly review your paperwork before they meet with you. The information provided will help determine the best path towards optimal healing using Dr. Ruscio’s Evidence-Guided Empiricism algorithm. This is a byproduct of over ten years of Dr. Ruscio’s clinical experience and meticulous reviewing of the scientific literature.

When you meet with your doctor for your History and Analysis visit, expect them to know almost everything about your case, and to have a series of specific questions to help them obtain an even more accurate understanding of your needs. You will also have time to provide additional context or ask questions.

Your doctor will review your information, further refining how they analyze your case based on the additional information you provided. Your doctor will use this information to create a dashboard containing all your relevant data and, more importantly, a roadmap to improve your health as quickly as possible.

3.Get personalized recommendations.

Now that your doctor has performed and refined their deep analysis using Dr. Ruscio’s Evidence-Guided Empiricism algorithm, they can provide you with initial recommendations. You will detail these recommendations with your doctor at your first follow-up visit. These recommendations usually include a combination of dietary, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations.

Everything will be provided to you in a detailed write-up to ensure everything is clear and you can start your plan immediately. These recommendations will also include when your doctor would like to follow up with you again to monitor your progress. Follow-up visits are generally performed once every 1-2 months, depending on your situation.

Our goal is the fewest possible follow-ups, the least restrictive dietary recommendations, and the selective use of supplements.

4.Start seeing real results!

Healing is not always linear. Best-case scenarios show improvement in patients within 4-6 weeks.

In other cases, seeing significant improvements may take us 6-8 months.

Best case cost (not including supplements) = $1300

Longer case cost (not including supplements) = $3250
*$1300 + 6 follow-up appointments at $325

Our promise to you:

As Dr. Ruscio likes to say, “We are a no-nonsense office.” Our aim is results. If we are not getting results, we will modify our approach until we do, so that you can see improvements quickly. We want to save you time and money. Dr. Ruscio and our team take this very seriously.

We understand that alternative and functional healthcare can be expensive, dogmatic, and rely on heavy supplement use. We promise you that we will avoid wasting your time and money. We have diligently studied what works and what does not to create a model of care that is effective and waste-free.

Fee Structure

Intake Visit

We provide an in-depth history form and conduct your online Intake Visit with our specialist at your convenience.

History and Analysis 

A history and analysis visit where your doctor meets with you virtually to analyze your case. 

Follow Up 

One follow-up visit where your doctor provides a detailed list of personalized recommendations

Total Cost: $1300

The Doctor Ruscio team.

Why people choose us.

Put simply, because we strive to get you well, quickly and cost effectively. Integrative and functional health has become overly costly and often involves unnecessary testing and treatment, thus wasting a significant amount of a client’s time and money. Additionally, some of the most popular tests and treatments used in this field are based on dogma, and not on sound science. This is why we’re committed to conducting research at the clinic in addition to treating clients.

Get to know your new doctor

Dr Ruscio with big smile welcoming new patients.

Michael Ruscio, DC

Chief Health Officer, Head of Research, and CEO

Dr. Ruscio, DC is your leading functional and integrative provider specializing in gut related disorders such as SIBO, leaky gut, Celiac, IBS and in thyroid disorders such as hypothyroid and hyperthyroid. He is a clinical researcher and best-selling author whose practical ideas on healing chronic illness have made him an influential voice in functional and alternative health. His work has been published in peer-reviewed medical journals and he speaks at integrative medical conferences across the globe. Dr. Ruscio, DC also runs an influential website and podcast with the goal of spreading his vision of practical and scientifically grounded functional health care.

Dr. Hannah Hamlin

Hannah Hamlin, DO

Dr. Hamlin is a general practitioner who specializes in Functional Medicine. She received a Bachelors Degree in Nutritional Sciences from Texas A&M University prior to attending medical school at William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed an internship at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center and has completed training through the Institute of Functional Medicine. She believes that mindset is an integral part of the healing process and is passionate about optimizing health in the presence of autoimmune disease.

Dr. Scott Spiridigliozzi

Scott Spiridigliozzi, ND

Dr. Scott is a naturopathic doctor who is passionate about helping his clients feel their best, both physically and mentally, so they can enjoy all aspects of their lives. He primarily focuses on helping clients improve their GI health, as well as naturally supporting hormonal and metabolic imbalances. He completed his naturopathic training at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ. When he isn’t obsessing over how to help his clients improve their health as quickly and cost-effectively as possible, he is enjoying spending time with his wife and baby.

Getting Started

Dr. Ruscio’s Team is confident in their method for gathering your full health history to effectively personalize your care. Start getting personalized guidance from our team for just $1300.

Not convinced?
Schedule a free discovery call here.

The Research Team

We are proud to be one of the only operations that has a dedicated Research Team to help us stay on top of the latest scientific research and findings.

Virtual Clinic - 11401805 06a1 4f25 88b4 292f7ec70851

Darla O’Dwyer, PhD

Darla is a registered dietitian and holds a Ph.D. in food and nutrition. She has been a faculty member at Stephen F. Austin State University since 2003 and is currently serving as the Dietetic Internship Director and Coordinator for the Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics program. She has a passion for integrative and functional health and her research interests are in gastrointestinal nutrition, dietary supplements, and fermented foods. She trained in functional medicine from the Kalish Institute to learn a more holistic approach to healing. Outside of work, she loves to cook, read, walk, swim, and spend time with her family, including the four-legged variety.

Virtual Clinic - 4ddc55e3 6111 481c b098 f77df62a67a9

Noora Alakulppi, PhD

Dr. Noora is a human geneticist and Precision Nutrition Level 2 nutrition coach with expertise in nutrition, autoimmune, gastrointestinal, and hormonal diseases. In 2008, Dr. Alakulppi graduated with her doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Helsinki Department of Biosciences. In post-graduate time, she researched celiac disease diagnostics, stem cells, and gastrointestinal microbiome. She is currently completing her Functional Medicine Nutrition Coach education in Finland. Her research interests include quantitative self/biohacking, supplements, herbs, spices, and the big four: stress, sleep, movement, and social connections. In her spare time, Dr. Alakulppi enjoys piano playing and singing.

Virtual Clinic - a301c735 de46 4514 8393 ce5498226a3c

Hannah Klopf

Hannah is a medical student and osteopathic manipulative medicine fellow at Rocky Vista University in Denver, Colorado. With goals of becoming a combined family medicine and psychiatry physician, her research thus far has focused on recovery of chronic and debilitating psychiatric illnesses using lifestyle intervention strategies. While not in clinical rotations, she is teaching at RVUCOM and treating clients in the OMM outreach clinic, practicing with an approach that emphasizes the body’s innate self-healing capabilities. Outside of work, you can find her crocheting, camping, painting, or hiking with her Australian shepherd named Aloe.

Let’s get you back to your life.

Game Changing Results

It’s just been wonderful to trust your recommendations, go forward, and then bam, they work. I’m happy.

Phyllis | Idaho

Thyroid Nodule Success​

Within three days, the swelling was gone, amazingly! And I kept waiting for it to come back. It didn’t come back.

Patricia | California

Overcoming Depression

I came in with insane brain fog, and depression. I was a really happy person, so that was new for me. In 3 or 4 months it was pretty much gone.

Harman | California

Beating SIBO

The best move I made was starting up with you and really getting someone who knows how to stop the SIBO relapse from going on, and I’m so happy I did…

Christine | Wyoming

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you help me?

As you likely already know, digestive health can impact a wide array of systems of the body and resultant symptoms. This is our main area of focus, and because of this, there are many seemingly unrelated symptoms we can usually help improve.

When combining this with the fact that Dr. Ruscio and our research team are constantly reviewing the science and using this to enhance our care model, we feel confident that you are in good hands.Best

As you start the process, we will progressively be better able to answer this question.

In our observation, one of the reasons individuals don’t obtain the results they seek with other healthcare providers is because the provider doesn’t listen and tends to force the individual into a one-size-fits-all model, rather than conforming and personalizing a care plan to the individual. This personalized care is the essence of Dr. Ruscio’s model, Evidence-Guided Empiricism, and why we can often help when other healthcare providers have not.

How much does it cost to get started?

Total fee structure is $1300.

Follow-Up Visits

  • Follow up Visit with Dr. Ruscio: $449
  • Follow up visit with Dr. Scott: $325
  • Follow up visit with Dr. Hannah: $325

How long and how much until I see results?

In the best-case scenario, we can improve your health within 1-2 months. In other cases, seeing significant improvements may take us 6-8 months.

Best case cost (not including supplements) = $1300

Longer case cost (not including supplements) = $3250
*$1300 + 6 follow-up appointments at $325

Why do clients choose the Ruscio Institute for FH?

Here at the Ruscio Institute for Functional Health, we embrace the progressive mindset of functional and integrative health while remaining conservative in our recommendations so as to provide practical and cost-effective treatment for you. We are continually updating our treatments based on the latest scientific literature and are consistently publishing our own research to improve the field of functional health.

We care deeply about optimizing the time we spend with you, preparing in advance for each visit, synthesizing your health history and clinical information, and formulating an individualized treatment plan that fits your story, signs, and symptoms.

As a team, we bridge the gap between conventional & functional health by providing whole-person medical care, informed by evidence, accessible to anyone that needs it.

How do I contact my provider in between visits?

We pride ourselves on providing straightforward practical recommendations that are easy to follow and execute. In the event that you get stuck or run into trouble, you are welcome to schedule follow-up visits with your provider as often as needed to work through any issues that arise during treatment.

Our office staff is ready to help with any logistical, scheduling or billing questions, and we offer consultations with our Clinical Nutritionist to help you implement treatment recommendations.

Can you be my PCP?

We specialize in Functional Health consultations to clients worldwide via Zoom. As we are unable to establish an in-person provider client relationship, we do not formally diagnose conventional medical conditions or prescribe medications. Because we work with clients across the world, we require that you continue or initiate a formal doctor client relationship with a local physician in conjunction with your relationship with our team.

We focus on identifying and addressing underlying causes of health concerns to help the body get back into a healthy balance. We use our extensive experience in holistic and natural health to help guide you in areas that have been overlooked or misunderstood by other practitioners.

Do you accept insurance?

Unfortunately, insurance companies place countless restrictions on providers which make it difficult to treat you effectively. The Ruscio Institute for Functional Health does not accept any form of medical insurance or Medicare/Medicaid. Even though there are out-of-pocket expenses, our clients find it is well worth it.

How often will I need to be seen?

Healing is not always linear and every clients’ experience is unique. While we do our best to be efficient within each visit, number of appointments may vary.

Our providers usually ask to see a client once every 4-6 weeks while being treated.

Where are you located?

We are exclusively a virtual clinic.

When do I start feeling better?

Healing is not always linear. Each clients’ experience is unique and responds differently to treatment.

Some clients begin to feel better within days to weeks, while for others, it may take months. We do our best to get you feeling better as soon as possible.

How do I access the client portal?

Simply click the “Login” link above. You will need to activate your account before you can access the client portal. Once accepted as a client, you will receive an email with a subject line asking you to join your practitioner on Practice Better.

Are consultations via phone or video?

Consultations are via video. You will receive an email confirmation and reminder email for your visit.

Is the initial exam deposit refundable?

Deposits and payments made are non-refundable.

Still have questions?

We offer a free 15 minute Discovery Call to prospective clients to make sure we are the right fit for you.